


10 minutes

by Nefariouscryptid



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Dysfunctional marriage - Freeform, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Fighting, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nefariouscryptid/pseuds/Nefariouscryptid
Summary: Their fights were always the same. 10 minutes of screaming, 5 minutes of cut throat jabs, and another 10 of silence. Maybe if they were lucky, there would be some spice added in-between. But that luck was never really lucky when it happened. This time isn’t an exception.
Relationships: Peter Durante & Anahii Durante, Peter Durante/Jason Byrne
Kudos: 2





	10 minutes

**Author's Note:**

> Use the J word if you have a death wish.

He hates confrontation. It’s something that would shock most people, given that his whole job is filled with nothing but confrontation, both good and bad, but he hates it. Peter’s human, he doesn’t like dealing with people trying to verbally attack him, or being put on the spot, or being screamed at, but what wouldn’t surprise anyone is that he puts all of that aside and deals with it. Cause life isn’t made for pussies. 

He also never understood why people just avoid it at all costs. Confrontation is inevitable, even if you don’t have a job like his, why avoid it? It seems easier to just get used to it, to just deal with it and stop being so dramatic to the point of completely avoiding it. You know, like a pussy. 

He really wishes he was a pussy. 

“I didn’t ask for this shit! I didn’t fucking ask for a husband who ignores me, for a husband that dragged me into a life that no other wife has to deal with! Do you think I asked for this shit?! DO YOU THINK I ASKED FOR THIS SHIT PETER?!” 

“Anahii, you married me. You can’t possibly fucking tell me that you DIDN’T ask for this when you said ‘I do’-“ 

“What I ASKED FOR is a loving husband! A husband that doesn’t fucking cheat on me, a husband that holds me, and ACTUALLY TREATS HER LIKE EVERYONE ELSES GOD DAMN HUSBANDS DO!” Anahii was screaming at him once again, almost like a daily schedule. And it all played out the same. 10 minutes of screaming. 5 minutes of harshly thrown jabs, and another 10 of silence. They were running on the last 3 minutes of screams. And maybe if they were lucky, a little spice would be thrown into the mix. Like a broken lamp from hitting the wall next to ones head. 

“Yeah yeah, that’s all you give a fuck about. Just what everyone else’s husbands doing! You made the first mistake of trying to get a loving husband out of someone by MARRYING ME!” Peter screamed back, every word getting louder and more agitated. 

Truth be told Peter didn’t even give a fuck about how his wife felt about him. He never really did. But he will admit his first mistake was marrying someone at a time where he was terrified of being alone, and settling for less because he believed no one out there would ever be able to either tolerate or relate to him ever again. That’s what being a stupid, young adult does to you. They should really emphasize how important those years are for how your life plays out, even if you’re a war criminal, he thinks. 

And to his delight, it seems the 10 minutes of screaming is over! He mentally prepares up a list of cut throat jabs to yell back at his opponent. Peter studies her face, noticing the odd furrowed brow, with the sudden sense of calm. But he further notes that isn’t calm he’s looking at, but more of a heartbroken realization that further dawns in her mind. Finally, some spice. Peter sits down crossing one leg over the other and stares into the light of a thankfully in tact lampshade. 

Her eyebrow creases into a bitter and angry expression, and for once in this whole argument she turns away. “I see how you look at him.” 

Peter pauses. For the first time in a very long time, he feels a jolt of genuine fear. Like the fear where your parents call you downstairs to talk and you think they know everything. His mind instantly goes to the first person he thinks of when something like THAT is mentioned. The heart palpitations isn’t like staring at his face, or his hand grazing his back, going a little lower, not low enough. It’s pure fear. ‘She knows, she knows and she’s gonna tell him. Jason’s gonna-‘ 

“You’ve never looked at me like that.” Anahii finally says. And if Peter loved his wife even a little, the expression on her face would have made him feel a little bad for her. “You never look at me like that...” Her voice shakes as she speaks, like she’s realizing the world around her is going to crumble and end. And in her own bubble it has. “It’s so obvious you... of course you like him like that.” 

He was sweating now. It takes every ounce of his power to look at her, maintain a strong persona to her, like her clearly false realization with no proof at all has no affect on him. Any gun to his head never had a bullet so terrifying than her realization. He’s been compromised. “Who the hell are you talking about?” Play it dumb, great tactic. 

“Don’t pull that shit Peter, it’s obvious you love Jason. ...How couldn’t I have seen that, it’s so obvious! It’s so fucking obvious! You ditching me for him, you looking at him like he’s everything you’ve ever wanted-“ She starts talking faster, “Like he’s some fucking savior of this HORRIBLE life that you live! This life you live with me! How fucking dreadful! HE, of all people is everything you could have possibly wanted!” She seethed. He couldn’t tell if she was crying, or the bright lamp was reflecting onto her eyes, like it was burning into his. Yeah, it’s the lamp. Which is why he quickly adverted his gaze from her and instead stared at golden leaves that embroidered the rug beneath his feet. No other reason. 

For the third time that night, he really wishes he was a pussy. 

“...It doesn’t take a genius to know.” Peter muttered quietly. For the first time in his entire life he just admitted out loud to someone that he is absolutely in love with his best friend. And that person had to be his wife. 

“Good thing he’s not a genius, then.” Anahii said. There was a new look in her eye. Something more malice then mischief. She finally had an upper hand with him. No matter how much the fact hurt her. It truly did. She’s tired of the world treating her like dirt, like she deserves all these horrible things that happen to her. She deserves a better husband, really. One that holds her, touches her, looks at her like she’s the most beautiful and wonderful woman on Earth. One he’d like to spend time with. 

She wonders in that moment if she’s ever done anything wrong in a past life, that made her carry this kind of burden. Not just her unfaithful husband, though. For everything. She won’t think about it, not caring to change her mind or entertain the idea that things just happen, but maybe she’s so tired and unforgiving because the world beat her down too early and for too long. 

But if he can put up the act that nothing she says or does bothers him, nothing that she had just addressed has any affect on his mind, then so can she. Her eyes are ice, and she grins. She grins at his face as he whips around to her, anger beginning to contort his expression as the words she spat at him set in. Because oh, how dare someone insult his dear best friend, someone must be asking for a death wish! And she is. 

Anahii walks towards him and runs gentle fingers through his hair, twisting it around as it falls to his head as she walks by. Something he knows he hates. Brings up some very unwanted memories of another woman. “You have a meeting with Stanhope and McFarland tomorrow morning at 7. They want to discuss the plan for the new Arms for Hostages situation. Jason will be there.” She grins, her heels clanking on the marble floor loudly over her happy little scoff. 

And now, greeted with the 10 minutes of silence, the only thing breaking it is the shatter of a lamp.


End file.
